Wing clipping?

[kees]

I have a four foot high chain link fence. I've never had any trouble with Bantam Silkies getting over it. One poster on this forum wrote that regular sized chickens would have even more difficulty clearing a fence because of their weight so I bought three Ameracuana hens and will have four Buff Orpington hens and one roo on the way. Lo and behold, I found one of the Ameracuana hens on top of the chainlink fence yesterday! I shooed it down and clipped all of the Ameracuanas' feathers. I used to have a parrot so it didn't freak me out. Today my neighbor knocked on my door and told me that they were still getting out! So I caught them and trimmed their primary wings a little closer. On the Internet, some sites state that clipping one wing is better because the bird loses it's balance but other people say that if the bird flaps hard enough, it'll still get over. Other people write that you have to clip both wings and those who disagree state that if the birds really want to get over a fence, all they have to do is flap harder! What's a person to do? Any advice?

 

[RooptyDoo]

Well I clip both of my birds wings and they dont escape at all. I have tried just clipping one wing and that works too. My bantams dont ever try to get out so I dont clip there wings.

 

[miron28]

I have 8 birds I clipped 4 of them I clipped both wings and the other 4 I cut one wing and the one that I did one wing can still fly pretty good so I cut all there flight feathers and now they can't get higher then 3 feet off the ground

that keeps them in the coop very well. I will take some pictures tomorrow if that will help you i have one more bird to do

 

[hatchaholic]

We clipped one wing on each of our chickens and turkeys, but a few still manage to get over the fence. I think next time we will try to clip both wings on each to see if that helps.

My bantams (22 weeks) have just started getting up on the fence, so their wings will probably be next.

 

[wyliefarms]

What about putting some netting (for fruit trees) over the outside pen to keep them in?

 

[kees]

Netting would be a good idea but I have them in the front yard and that would make it kind of hard for me to move around.

 

[skand]

We started clipping both wings when we got our birds, they still fluttered enough to try the 4 ft fence. So we moved to one side, off balance. But this year, we haven't had to trim our older birds. Our roo, popcorn, if he gets the want to get on the fence, he'll get up there, crow, then gets all shaky scared and needs help down. Guess heights bother him.
The younger ones just get up enough to cross pens, then go back to thier side. We've never really had a problem with ours getting out, so to speak. The only ones that go off on journeys are the guineas, but they still stay on our property. I'd either trim the top of your fence with some chicken wire, since it's light enough you wouldn't really have to brace it up. Or net it. You can get some of that fruit bushes netting, it's lightweight, and won't hurt the birds if they fly up into it. The holes aren't big enough to get thier necks, wings trapped in it. Ours are in our front yard, just get a few poles stuck in the yard stragically and brace the netting up on it.
Keeps our peafowl from flying away.

 

[kees]

That's a good idea! I came home and found that all of the birds were where they should be. If any stray I'm going to try your suggestion!

 

[skand]

We learned over time, when the hens start laying, they really don't try to fly so much. Our aracauna, stoogie, has never grown her wings back since we cut them when she was little tiny. Guess she realizes she has it good enough in the yard, there's nowhere else to inspect. My girls catch her grasshoppers. The more food comes to her, the better, I guess
Just don't let it bother you, so long as noone complains. And if they do, offer them free grass clipping, bug removal, and if they are really nice to the birdies, they just might get an egg or two

 

[kees]

Quote:
I couldn't imagine more grass clippings, bugs and treats than they already have. We'll see what happens. Thanks for the advice!